Advances in genomic research have revolutionized the fields of biology, genetics, and biochemistry. In particular, microarray technologies have enabled the study of molecular interactions at a large scale. As the collective understanding of biological systems progress, it is increasingly important that molecular interactions are understood both macroscopically and microscopically in a systematic fashion.
As a field of study, system biology is the study of the interactions between the components of biological systems, and how these interactions give rise to the function and behavior of that system (for example, the enzymes and metabolites in a metabolic pathway).
Current tools for macroscopic and systematic analyses of biological systems require tremendous input in both resource and manpower. There is a need in the art for methods and systems that can carry out such analyses with more efficiency and economy.